Pages: 165-178

The article deals with the archaeological evidence for military contacts between the Sarmatians and the Germans in Roman times. Prevalence of the Germanic spears with tamga signs may be explained by the fact that steppe nomads enjoyed high military prestige among the northern barbarians in the 1st—2nd centuries AD. In turn, the appearance of metal umbones on the shields in the material culture of the Northern Black Sea (Sarmatian antiquities, Tanais) indicates the spreading of the Germanic military civilization. The spreading of sharp-pointed umbones and daggers with a cutout in late Roman times may reflect the growing importance of hand-to-hand fighting in the Barbarian warfare.

Keywords: Germans, Sarmatians, weapons, contacts, spears, umbones, daggers

Information about author:

Mark Shchukin. Doctor of historical sciences.